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Super Teams, Literature, and Headlights

It’s time for another look at the current Previews catalog, so this week Andy and Derek check out all of the interesting solicitations for May. First, though, they briefly discuss their plans (or lack thereof) for Free Comic Book Day this coming weekend, and then they share some listener mail. After that, they begin their deep dive into the May Previews..and it’s a good long dive this month. Among the many upcoming titles they highlight are:

We discuss the first 10 issues of Velvet by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. This female led spy story is set in a very realistic environment and focuses on a retired agent who must use her spy skills to solve a mystery.

Emily Edwards returns to the rotating co-host chair! They chat about the rumors involving Brie Larson as Captain Marvel and Tom Hiddleston as James Bond. News includes: Superman will make an appearance in the first 2 episodes of Season 2 of Supergirl, Millarworld announced Reborn from Mark Millar and Greg Capullo, and Gillian Anderson will play “Media” in the upcoming TV adaptation of American Gods. Jimmy is leaving for Heroes Con in North Carolina next week and you shouldn’t definitely go if you are in Charlotte from June 17-19! One of the best comic conventions around. Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love! Also, get a hold of us!

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“There’s a lot of liquid and goo in this first issue”

For the past several weeks the Two Guys with PhDs have been looking mostly at book-length works, trades, original graphic novels, and archival collections. This week, Andy W. and Derek thought that they’d catch up with their single-comic-book-issue reading by focusing on six recent #1 titles:

The guys note that there’s an embarrassment of riches to choose from, as there have been many recent first issues from some powerhouse creators, including Brian K. Vaughan, Jason Aaron, Grant Morrison, and Warren Ellis. For the most part, each of the titles from these writers is a home run, although Andy is not quite impressed with Klaus, feeling that it’s a little too formulaic. The guys also note that The Goddamned isn’t for those with Puritanical sensibilities, James Bond breaks free of the property’s Hollywood shackles, and Paper Girls visits the 1980s in a fun and non-stereotypical way. (Plus, Derek is glad that there are no Goonies references anywhere to be found.) Snow Blind is a great first issue, as well, setting up what promises to be an intelligent four-issue crime/noir miniseries…although given the potential in this inaugural issue, this story seems that it could go on for more than four installments. And both Andy and Derek are bowled away by Liu and Takeda’s Monstress. Not only is the storytelling sophisticated, intricate, and intelligently populated, but there is over sixty pages of story in this first issue. The guys are used to oversized #1 issues from Image — in fact, they’re getting spoiled by them — but the amount of material in this comic goes above and beyond! Finally, the guys wrap up my commenting briefly on some of the other recent #1 issues that they could have included in this episode, such as Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott’s Black Magick(Image Comics); Garth Ennis and Keith Burns’s Johnny Red(Titan Comics); Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, and Patric Reynolds’s Joe Golem: Occult Detective (Dark Horse Comics); and Sam Humphries and Tommy Patterson’s Citizen Jack (Image Comics). And then there are the various Vertigo #1 issues that have been coming out recently. But that’s the subject of another podcast!

Due to some last minute cancellations, Jimmy has to do a solo episode for you. He’s madly prepping for San Diego Comic Con and it’s all down to the wire. You’ll hear his lovely friend Milana Vayntrub in this episode too! She was visiting NYC and they had a drink and chatted about her sci-fi comedy Other Space, being “Lily” on the AT&T commercials, her directing ambitions and more. News includes: Image Expo announces massive slew of new comics, DC announces 8 new mini-series, Marvel annouces 45 titles for the post-Battleworld Marvel lineup, Dynamite announces new projects from Garth Ennis (A Train Called Love) & Warren Ellis (James Bond) plus collaborations with Atari and Fleischer Studios, JK Rowling is developing a Harry Potter stage play and Elodie Young has been cast as “Elektra” in Netflix’s Daredevil series. Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love!

This week, the cast is light again due to some illness, but Brant and Ron hold down the fort.

It’s an all Headlines Topic Time, as they discuss television and film news in the world of comics and related media! From the Terminator trailer, to the casting of Suicide Squad, to the Flash/Arrow crossover, and much more, it’s all about multimedia.

Then it’s announcements before they close the show.

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Disenfranchised by the modern comics industry, Paul Spataro, Scott Gardner and Michael Bailey(of “View From The Longbox” and “From Crisis To Crisis: A Superman Podcast” fame) now ply the timestream in a never-ending quest to re-discover and re-connect with that unique brand of fun and excitement that can only truly be found in good ol’ fashioned randomly-selected Comic Book back issues!! Journey with them now…back…Back To The Bins!!

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Martheus and Janet Wade are interviewed about their latest Original Graphic Novel, Jetta: Tales of The Toshigawa – Full Circle, then Jon Carroll swings by as he and Shawn discuss the iPad 2 and Race In Comics, and later on Donny Salvo stops by as Shawn tells him about the strangest dream he’s ever had, which then lead to a slew of tangents to later finding out what John Cena and Donny have in common!

In this MASSIVE episode, the freaks are joined by Josh Baker and Michael Bailey as they talk about all things Indy! All four movies, video games, comics, music, toys, books it’s all crammed in here! This podcast simulates the Indiana Jones experience so well that you will swear you are being dragged on your belly behind a speeding truck!